Sound reproducer and method of manufacturing the same



Aug. 18, 1931. LE ROY w. STAUNTON ETAL 1,819,627

SOUND REPRODUCER AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAIE/ Filed Oct. 8,1925 '2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG I. FIG 2 LE ROY M 57;4U//TONINVENTOR.

&. CYZ/L. A. 5IZ/GHAM C A TTORNb:

g- 1931- LE ROY w. STAUNTON ET AL ,6 7

SOUND REPRODUCER AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME Filed Oct. 8, 19252 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG 4 FIG 6- LE zor w STAUNTONIJNVENTOR. a CVK/L ABE/GHAM A TTORN Y I Patented 18, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LE ROYW. STAUNT'ON, OF JACKSON HEIGHTS, NEW YORK, AND CYRIL A. BRIGHAM OF EASTORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORS T BRANDES LABORATORIES, INC.,

OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY SOUND REPRODUCER ANDMETHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME Application filed October 8, 1925.Serial No. 61,298.-

Our invention relates broadly to sound reproducingdiaphragms and morep'articularly to a construction of sound reproducing diaphragm by whichmusic may be reproduced with pleasing tone quality over the entiremusical scale.

One of the objects of our invention is to provide a sound reproducingdiaphragm by which both the high and low frequency notes may beeliiciently reproduced without distortion or exaggeration in any of thetones.

Another object of our invention is to provide a practical constructionof conical diaphragm for electromagnetic sound reproducers which may beinexpensively manufactured on a quantity production basis.

Still another object of our invention is to provide an elliptical shapedconical dia phragm with means for resiliently supporting the peripheryof the diaphragm for permitting vibrations of variable frequencies alongthe slant height of the cone, enabling the difierent frequenciesto beefficiently reproduced byireason of the variable slant height around theelliptical 'diaphgram'.

A further object of our invention is to provide means for resilientlysupporting the peripheral edge of an elliptical I conical shapeddiaphragm where the resilient means are protected againstdestructionarising out of the continued vibration of the diaphragm.

r1 still further, object of our invention is to provide means forsupporting an elliptical conical shaped diaphragm insuch manner that itmay be driven by an electromagnetic sound reproducer. 7

Other and further objects .of. our invention will be understood from thefollowing specification by reference to: the accompanyingdrawings,wherein: I

-Figure 1 is a side elevation showing'the conical diaphragm of ourinvention; Figs. 2 and 3 show developments of the elliptical cone shapeddiaphragm; Fig. 4 is a front view showing the mounting of the diaphragm;Fig. 5 is a side elevation partially in cross section showing theconical diaphragm mounted on a vertical supporting member; and Fig. 6 isan enlarged cross- BOsectional view taken on. line 66 of Fig. 4

showing our method of resilently supporting the peripheral edge of theconical shaped diaphragm.

A Referring to the drawings in more detail, A

reference character 1 shows the conical shaped elliptical diaphragmwhich may be formed from paper, parchment or other material having goodsound reproducing characteristics. In Fig. 3 we have shown a developmentof the elliptical cone diaphragm where .the material forming thediaphragm is originally cut in a flat sheet substantially in the form ofan irregular ellipse, that is a plane figure having a larger radius atone end than at the other end. A V-shaped cut'2 is taken out of the fiatsheet 1 providing a gluing strip 3 at one edge thereof and having astraight edge 4 on the opposite side thereof. In Fig. 2 the ellipticalcone shaped diaphragm 1 is shown fully wrapped into completed form withthe edge 4 and gluing strip 3' adjacent each other. It will be seen thatthe larger. diameter of. the conical diaphragm'corresponds to thediameterof a.

circle 5,' whereas the smaller diameter of the conical diaphragmcorresponds to a circle 6. The difference in the slant height around theperiphery of the conical diaphragm enables vibrations of variablefrequencies to be efficiently reproduced over the entire musical scale.

In Fig. 1 we have shown a vertical panel -member 7 on which theelliptical cone shaped diaphragm 1 is resiliently supported. Anelliptical aperture is provided in the sup? porting panel 7 representedby reference 'character8 around which the elliptical cone shapeddiaphragm 1 is supported by means of an elliptical shaped ring member 9of resilient material. WVe have successfully used sheet rubber for thispurpose and have allowed an extended flange portion 10 which is securedto the surface of the panel member 7 around the elliptical aperturetherein. The rubberized ring 9 is extended at an angle 11 and directedinwardly with respect tothe supporting panel 7 presenting an el-.liptical inwardly disposed face 12 which'is secured'to the peripheraledge 14 of the elliptical cone shaped diaphragm 1. It will be observedthat we secure the resilient ring to that side of the cone shapedelliptical diaphragm which prevents any tendency of the raw edge 15 fromcutting into the re silient material 9. The cone shaped diaphragm 1 isprovided with a ferrule member l6 suitably secured by means of a nut l7at the apex of the cone whereby sound vibrations may be imparted to thediaphragm from an electromagnetic driver of suitable construction.

t will be noted that vibrations imparted to the cone shaped diaphragm ltend to re move the raw edge 15 of the cone away from ;he resilie tmaterial 9, rather than resilient material 9. We have found that thisconstruction is v ry desirable in that there is no tendency for the thinflexible resilient material 9 to he cut at the peripheral edge or thecone shaped diaphragm by the continued vibratory movement of thediaphragm. By reason of the variable slant height around the peripheryof the diaphragm we rind that sound brations are produced over theentire musical scale with desirable tone quality. \Ve have found that anelliptical cone shaped diaphragm having a short diameter of six and onehali inches (6%) produces the most eliicient results.

ll hile we have described our invention in certain particularembodiments, we desire that it be understood that modifications may bemade and that no limitations upon the invention are intended other thanthose imposed by the scope of the appended claims.

W'hat we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent ot the UnitedStates is as follows:

1. A sound reproducing diaphragm com prising in combination anelliptically apertured supporting member, an elliptical cone shapedsound reproducing diaphragm arranged to float therein, and an ellipticalring of flexible material disposed between said elliptically aperturedsupporting member and the peripheral edge of said elliptical cone shapedsound reproducing diaphragm.

2. A sound reproducing diaphragm comprising in combination anelliptically apertured supporting member, an elliptical cone shapedsound reproducing diaphragm arranged to float therein, and a flexibleresilient lliptical ring member secured around the periphery of saidelliptically apertured supporting member and having its inner peripheraledge disposed at an angle and secured to the outer peripheral edge ofsaid elliptical cone shaped sound reproducing diaphragm.

3. A sound reproducing diaphragm comprising in combination anelliptically apertured supporting member, an elliptical cone shapedsound reproducing diaphragm arranged to float therein, and a flexibleresilient elliptical ring member secured around the periphery of saidelliptically apertured supporting member and having its inner peripheraledge disposed at an angle and secured to the extreme outer edge of saidelliptical cone shaped sound reproducing diaphragm on that side thereofwhere the vibrations of said diaphragm tend to drive the raw edgethereof away from said flexible resilient elliptical ring member.

4:. A sound reproducing diaphragm comprising a flat sheet of materialformed into a conical shaped body with variable slant height between theapex of said conical body and the peripheral edge thereof saidperipheral edge being elliptical in shape and symmetrically disposedabout said apex, and means for resiliently supporting said peripheraledge whereby sound vibrations of variable frequencies may be ellicientlylQPlO--j duced along the variable slant height of said diaphragm.

5. The method of manufacturing a sound reproducing diaphragm whichconsists in cutting a flat sheet of material in the shape of anirregular ellipse having different radii at opposite ends thereof,removing a V-shaped portion from the end of large radius and rolling theflat sheet thus formed into the shape of an elliptical cone sound.

reproducing diaphragm.

6. The method of manufacturing an elliptical cone shaped diaphragm whichconsists in cutting a flat sheet of material in the shape of anirregular ellipse having a larger radius at one end thereof than at theother, cutting a V-shaped portion from the end of larger radius, forminga gluing strip on one edge of the V-shaped portion thus formed, rollingthe flat sheet into the shape of an elliptical cone shaped soundreproducing diaphragm and securing said gluing strip to the opposite endof said V-shaped portion.

7. A sound reproducing diaphragm consist-ing of a large direct actingsound reproducing diaphragm consisting of a thin sheet of materialhaving an elliptical periphery, means for supporting the periphery ofsaid diaphragm for relatively free vibration, and means for subjectingsaid diaphragm to mechanical vibration substantially at the geometricalcenter thereof.

8. A sound reproducing diaphragm consisting of a large direct actingsound reproducing diaphragm consisting of a thin sheet of materialhaving an elliptical periphery, means for supporting the periphery ofsaid diaphragm for relatively free vibration, and means for subjectingsaid diaphragm to mechanical vibration substantially at the geometricaland acoustical center thereof.

9. A sound reproducing diaphragm comprising a large direct acting coneof thin sheet material having an elliptical periphery,means for flexiblysupporting the periphery thereof, and means for subjecting saiddiaphragm at its geometrical center to mechanical vibration.

10. A sound reproducing diaphragm comprising a large direct acting coneof thin sheet material having an elliptical periph ery, means forflexibly supporting the periphery thereof, and means for subjecting saiddiaphragm at its geometrical and acoustical center to mechanicalvibration.

11. Asound reproducing diaphragm comprising a large direct acting coneof thin sheet material having an elliptical periphery and having itsapex symmetrically disposed relative to its elliptical periphery, meansfor flexibly supporting the periphery thereof, and means for sub ectingsaid diaphragm at its apex to mechanical vibration. o

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures. I LE ROY W. STAUNTON. 2CYRIL A. BRIGHAM.

was

